On Saturday night, Sporting KC will return to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium for the first time since 2010 and for the first time in an MLS match since 2007.
The occasion is steeped in history, as April 13th also marks the 28th anniversary of the first MLS game in Kansas City. Members of that team and past Arrowhead stars will be in attendance Saturday night.
But don't be fooled. The only reason Sporting is returning to Arrowhead is because of the left foot of the 5-foot-7-inch man from Rosario, Argentina.
It's simply Lionel Messi's fault.
Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes, who has watched many great players over the years, including the legendary Pele, says for him Messi is the greatest of all time.
“No player has ever done as well as Messi,” Vermes said. “Whether you're a soccer fan or not, what an incredible opportunity to go see the greatest player in the history of the sport.”
More than 70,000 people are expected to attend on Saturday, mostly to get a glimpse of the world's greatness. In addition to Messi, Inter Miami's star-studded roster brings a group of FC Barcelona legends to the Midwest, including Sergio Busquets, Luis Suárez, and Jordi Alba.
Busquets may be the best player ever to play his position, and Suarez is gaining attention as a goalscorer at both club and international level.
But even if you take Messi out of the equation, will the game still move from the 21,500-seat maximum capacity Children's Mercy Park stadium to the 76,000-plus seat Arrowhead stadium? The answer is no.
David Beckham's Galaxy never ordered him to move to Arrowhead. The price of a ticket to see Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Gareth Bale play at Children's Mercy Park never hit triple digits just to get in.
No, everything that happens at Arrowhead on Saturday will come down to Messi.
So what's so special about him?
Vermes said no coach has ever put together a game plan that could stop Messi.
“I'm not going to be the first guy to figure it out,” Vermes joked.
Since his debut in 2005, Messi's career has captivated the global game at a global level. He has scored 644 goals in 799 games for his club alone, and 79 goals in 115 games for Argentina.
They have won the UEFA Champions League, arguably the world's biggest club competition, four times. He won 12 league titles with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), five Copa del Rey (Spain's equivalent of the US Open Cup), and Copa America and World Cup titles with Argentina.
He has a record of being named the best player in the world to win the Ballon d'Or trophy eight times. He was twice named World Cup Player of the Year for his performances in 2014 and 2022.
The praise is impressive. But the experience is more than that. He is known for his incredible weaving dribbling moves. He can shoot from any angle. The moment he got on the ball, the players perked up and the fans were on the edge of their seats in anticipation of what he would do.
Kansas City has experienced a lot of great things over the years. Patrick Mahomes is the most recent example. He is able to command attention and exceed the imagination of attendees at any time.
But Messi has global dignity.
Messi is a national hero in his home country. His achievement in winning the 2022 World Cup is almost immortalized.
On the road during his time in MLS, he commanded sold-out crowds, creating a last-minute atmosphere at home games as fans flocked for their only chance to see him.
This week, while Inter Miami traveled to Monterrey, Mexico for CONCACAF Champions League games, fans lined the streets to wait for buses to arrive at the team hotel.
These are the current scenes outside the hotel where Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are staying in Monterrey.
People have been waiting here for over an hour and a half to welcome the team. pic.twitter.com/CmxamRfd95
— Lizzy Becherano (@lizzy_becherano) April 9, 2024
The stadium scene included barricades and fencing around the field and multiple PA announcements asking fans not to run on the field to take pictures with Messi. While Miami was soundly defeated, the stands of the mostly pro-Monterrey crowd were visibly dotted with pink Miami and Messi gear.
By the end of Saturday night, the crowd watching a football game in Missouri will be the largest ever. A significant portion of those in attendance are there just to get a glimpse of Messi's greatness.
Many within Sporting KC refer to the 2010 friendly against Manchester United as the springboard for Sporting KC's opening of Children's Mercy Park.
As with Saturday's game, this was a monumental moment for Kansas City soccer, with 70,000 fans expected to attend the regular season MLS game.
And while Vermes is aware that big crowds will be in attendance for Messi, he hopes to attract those fans as his team did when they beat Manchester United in a friendly in 2010. I want it.
“If they're not a soccer fan yet, the league has a chance. Maybe they'll become a soccer fan,” Vermes said. “More importantly, they might become Sporting fans.”
Daniel sperry cover The Star Soccer. You can contact him at: sperry.danielkc@gmail.com.